ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the basic principles of molecular-genetic imaging, and summarizes some applications in preclinical research. Molecular-genetic imaging is a fascinating novel technology that aims at unraveling and visualizing detailed information on cellular and molecular mechanisms in vivo in real time. In vivo molecular-genetic imaging is a rapidly evolving field based on concerted research and technical developments spanning multiple disciplines such as molecular biology, cell biology, chemistry, and imaging technology. Most indirect molecular-imaging paradigms involve the coupling of a reporter gene with a complementary reporter probe. Molecular imaging allows the further exploration of the information coming out of genome sequencing to develop novel therapeutic drugs and imaging methods that are targeted at specific molecular features of the diseased tissue. Simultaneous tracking transplanted stem cell fate and function in vivo noninvasively has gained increased attention as it can address many safety aspects of the use of tumor- infiltrating cells as targeting vehicles for gene therapy.
